self centered

If you happen to notice that I am 'following' myself, in the box to the right under 'followers'... some how i clicked on the 'follow' button and added myself to the list. No, I don't have a large ego...nor am I so obsessed with myself that I have to follow my own blog. I don't know if i can get myself off the list! ha! silly me! This is the result of a non-regimented spring break schedule! My mind is making my hands do crazy things!

eruption

I was so impressed with myself this morning. I made a 'coffee volcano' and it wasn't even for an object lesson in KidZone! I swung by McDonald's to grab a McCafe on the way to work, and it was nice and hot, but by the time I reached my desk, it was NOT so hot. So I ran to the kitchen and popped it in the microwave. The lid was still on, but i tucked the little flap back so steam could escape. I kept thinking, 'just a little longer, I want it good and hot, once I sit down at my desk, I won't be getting up'. A minute and a half later I watched the 'volcano' erupt all over the recently cleaned microwave!. Half my coffe was flooding the bottom of the microwave. Luckily I ordered a 'medium', so I still had plenty left. What a sight!

spring is in the air

Well it is a BEAUTIFUL day in SW Missouri. Almost officially spring. It looks like it around here. Spring is one of my favorite seasons! Our property looks beautiful with the apple and plum trees budding pink and white flowers, the bright green grass coming in that Jake grazes as fast as it grows, and this year Aubrey is big enough to run around outside and enjoy it as well! We have been outside a lot this week. My Spring break is almost coming to an end, what a nice, relaxing, no alarm clock, much needed week it has been! Aubrey and I have spent a lot of time outside, feeding the chickens, petting and feeding Jake, walking all around our 6 acres, looking at worms, blowing bubbles and riding in her wagon. She DOES NOT like to hear the words, 'we're going inside to eat lunch now'. She loves food, but more than food, she LOVES being outside! This summer I will have the tan of my life, because her and I will practically LIVE outside! Plus the city of Willard is getting a new pool that will be open this summer, so we MIGHT have to visit a time or two...and invite her best friend Josiah to come, he's been taking swimming lessons!

I know it is easiest and best to be going through Nursing school right now while Aubrey is so little. But days like this week, it is so HARD to get back into the grind of the routine! I just keep telling myself "8 more weeks of this semester, one more year of school and it will ALL be worth it...I have ALL summer to spend with Aubrey".

what to do?!

Spring break is next week!! I consider myself on spring break as of yesterday at 4:30. That was my last day of class for a week and a half! I've been pondering and planning my week 'off'. "What should I do? What should I do? Go home to IN and see my family, where it's still cold? Travel to AL to see Megan, where it's warm? Select a destination which is warm and I don't know anyone? Stay home, clean, organize, run errands that have been kept off b/c of such a busy schedule? Shopping trip to Kansas City? Branson Outlets? Stay home, sleep in every day and stay in my p.j.'s all day playing with Aubrey?" The list can go on and on and on! All of the above I would LOVE to do, but i really only have 3 'free' days of my spring break! So I have them filled with dentist, dr's, photographers (hopefully Sarah) and one day of 'undecided'. I do however have a test the Tuesday I return to school. What sort of teacher schedules a test so you have to study over break? A Nursing School Teacher!

I know I will thoroughly enjoy my extra time w/ Aubrey. With my busy schedule, I don't get as much time with her, which I don't like at all, but I know once she's in school, she will need my attention more than ever! SO, I will stay home, b/c now the thought of traveling anywhere not only costs money, but exhausts me more than I am already exhausted! But in the back of my mind I will dream of sunny, warm Hawaii! (or somewhere warm with an ocean)

miscellaneous

Happy Friday to everyone! Today was a beautiful day in SW Missouri! We hit the 80 degree mark! Every window in my house was open, clothes were outside drying in the sunshine and I spent a good hour giving Jake, my horse, a workout! He was sweaty and tired of me telling him what to do by the time we were finished. It felt so good to get out, soak up some sun and enjoy the day! I even came away with a little pinkness to my porcelain white skin!

My clinical day on Wednesday was spent with 4 new mom's and their new babies. It's amazing to me how each mom is completely different from the next. Obviously no two individual's are alike, but they all went through a similar experience and they are all completely different situations and outlooks! One mom had baby #4 Tuesday morning and was dressed in her clothes Wednesday morning, searching for her nurse to let her know the Dr. told her she could go home and she needed to be home in time to go to class that night! She was a professional mom! I guess after 4 you would have the routine down...just a little! The other 3 mom's weren't so energetic, they all had c-sections...so just moving around was a task to be checked off the 'to do' list! And going home? That just sounded like too much pain and work!

I had a lot of fun in the nursery playing with babies. Taking temperatures, washing their little faces, listening to the speedy little heart rates, checking reflexes, changing diapers and listening to the wave of cries. Once one baby starts, it's only a matter of seconds before the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and entire nursery of babies practice their vocal skills!

I enjoy the post partum (new moms/babies) floor very much! For the most part everyone on that floor is very healthy! Pregnancy is probably one of the healthiest times in a woman's life! It was nice not to have a lot of medications to keep up with. A prenatal vitamin here, a glass of ice water there and a look at some swollen ankles/feet was all I had to keep up with! Kind of makes me get the baby itch again....but don't be asking, because there won't be any news! Just remember who I'm married to...he's enough to equal the energy of 2 children!

Ragu anyone?

It seems as though Thursdays are my 'blog' days. These are the days when I work 7 hours and have time to sit, take a breather and reflect on my week! This week it looks as though instead of highlighting Nursing school, I am highlighting my daughter! Not a bad trade off! I'll fill you in on my clinical day for school later.

Something EVERY child in the United States and probably at least Italy has in his or her or mom and dad's posession is a 'first spaghetti' picture! Aubrey has eaten spaghetti before, but this time mommy let her eat it all on her own! She had a lot of fun with it and LOVES spaghetti and garlic bread. She ate it at least 3 days in a row for about 2 meals each day! And she would still be eating it if we had any left.

So here are the famous 'first spaghetti' pictures! :) We made a b-line for the bathtub after this one for sure!

1...2...3...smile!

Just wanted to share a fun picture of Aubrey! Two things suprising with this picture... #1- being she actually had enough time in her day to STOP for the camera, #2 - she actually smiled in the fact that she was sick with a cold!